"People are like stained glass windows: they sparkle and shine when the sun's out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is light within."

-Elizabeth Kubler-Ross

Just do it !

I found this on another minister's Blog, I think this is great stuff.



Do what needs to be done. Say what needs to be said. Listen to the things you need to hear. Learn what you need to learn. Explain what you need to explain.

Rather than constructing elaborate methods for avoiding these things, or elaborate excuses to evade them, just get them done. Instead of letting things slip and continue to weigh you down, get them done and let your actions energize you. The avoidance of effort is just as difficult as effort itself yet avoidance accomplishes nothing positive.

Success is not always easy, yet it is for the most part simple. The way to accomplishment is not hidden. It is in plain view. You can see what must be done. Stop fretting. Quit worrying. Don't complain. You know what you need to do. So do it.

Happy Memorial day!

"Our pledge and our prayer this day are those of free men and free women who know that all we hold dear must constantly be built up, fostered, revered, and guarded vigilantly from those in every age who seek its destruction. We know, as have our nation's defenders down through the years, that there can never be peace without its essential elements of liberty, justice, and independence."

--Ronald Reagan, May 20, 1988

Will Graduates !

Mr. William Gregory Stafford graduated from Pre-K (and I believe with honors)
Congratulations Will! I have a feeling that that your future is incredibly bright.

Global Day of Prayer May 27th

Nations around the world will unite in prayer for the third annual Global Day of Prayer (GDOP) on Pentecost Sunday, May 27. A three-hour television special, hosted by T.D. Jakes of The Potter’s House, evangelist Luis Palau and pastor Jack Graham of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Dallas, will broadcast from the Reunion Arena in downtown Dallas 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. (EST). The global prayer day began in March 2001 with more than 45,000 Christians gathering to unite in prayer at Newlands Rugby Stadium in Cape Town, South Africa. Last year, 199 countries participated in the event. As part of a three-phase strategy, the celebration began May 17 with 10 days of 24-hour prayer and was to end with 90 days of blessing. The Dallas GDOP event will be broadcast live on GodTV.

Memorial services

This has been a hectic week. We had the Memorial services for Irene Tuesday night, and then attended the funnel for Roger on Wednesday. Both services went very well. Please keep both families in your prayers.

The passing of a friend

Brother Armstrong passed away Saturday, and then our friend and neighbor Irene Taylor passed away Sunday.
It is often said, but never truer, times passes quickly. A popular song says;

You can spend your whole life building something from nothing
One storm can come and blow it all away
Build it anyway
You can chase a dream that seems so out of reach and you know it might not ever come your way
Dream it anyway

Chorus:
God is great, but sometimes life ain’t good
And when I pray it doesn’t always turn out like I think it should
But I do it anyway, I do it anyway

This world’s gone crazy and it’s hard to believe that tomorrow will be better than today
Believe it anyway
You can love someone with all your heart, for all the right reasons, and in a moment they can choose to walk away
Love ‘em anyway



You can pour your soul out singing a song you believe in that tomorrow they’ll forget you ever sang
Sing it anyway, sing it anyway

I sing, I dream, I love, anyway

Roger Armstrong funeral arrangments

As many of you know Roger Armstrong passed away Saturday. Brother Armstrong was a tremendous man of faith that will be greatly missed. Please continue to remember his family in your prayers.

Brother Pense sent the following:

Moore's Funeral Home

1504 Loop Rd

Jacksonville, AR 72076

Tuesday evening, May 22 - 7 PM (Family Receives Friends)

Wednesday Morning, May 23 - 10:30 AM (Memorial Service - Jacksonville Church)

Burial: Veterans Memorial Cemetery, N. Little Rock.

Please keep the family in your prayers. I will be officiating the services.

Wayne Pense,

Regional Overseer

Blessing of the fleet

There are certain signs that summer is here. One of the sure signs is the annual blessing of the fleet at the Yacht Club. This year I have been asked to be the Officiant. If you have never seen a blessing like this before, its worth the adventure. Basically I will anchor our boat, each boat will come by ours and point their bow to ours, I will say (read) a prayer and then take a giant super soaker water gun and baptize the bow. I then announce that "(name of the boat) has just been blessed." If the weather is bad or the flow too high, we will walk the docks and do the same thing, without the boat parade. Yep, summer is almost here.

A thought for the day

"I don't think of all the misery but of the beauty that still remains."

-Anne Frank

Summer Youth Camps Date Change

This year some of the schools are getting out later than normal. This has prompted a change in camp dates. A recent letter I received says:

I’m sure you all have heard the concerns from kids and pastors regarding year-end school dates due to snow days and camp dates conflicting. (Many of the AR kids would not get to attend camp because school would not be out. There are 6 from our local church alone.) Today after much deliberation and consideration with the camp coordinator and the regional overseer and trying to choose the best dates available for everyone, the Adventure camp dates (ages 13-18) for our (Tom and my) camp have changed. The new camp dates are as follows:

Friday, July 27 through Wednesday, August 1

I sincerely hope that all of you can make arrangements with your work and families and still work in camp with us this year. I am truly sorry for any confusion or conflicts that this may cause, but as you all are aware…only He (God) controls the Arkansas weather…J haha Please let me know as soon as possible whether you will still be able to work with us or not. I pray that this change is good for everyone concerned. I know it will be good for the kids who get to attend now.

Please continue to pray for camp. The overseer and the regional office will be contacting all of the pastors and getting the word out as quickly as possible so be looking for word at your local churches.

Thanks for all you do for Him and for the kids, and thanks in advance for being flexible and understanding. Tom and I appreciate you tremendously!

Blessings,

Stephanie

Jerry Falwell passes away

Evangelical leader was found in his university office this morning.

Link to entire story

"Old" Friends come to visit

We were blessed today to have Janean all the way from Oklahoma to sing for us.

Don and Vera Wells stopped by after being at Ladies Retreat for the weekend. They are now on their way back to Louisiana. Brother Wells delivered todays message.

Robert's New Blog!

Robert House is one of our Youth Leaders. He is a licensed minister that not only works in the North Little Rock Church, but fills in for other ministers around the state. In fact that is where he will be Sunday, filling in for Pastor Wilson in Mountain View. Pastor Wilson recently had surgery on his hip, once again. Robert has had a Blog link since shortly after this Blog started, he recently went to a different format. Check out his work. And Robert, we are grateful that you are a part of this congregation!!

I Like this Judge!

The Sound is a bit off, but the message is powerful. It takes about 6 miuntes to watch.
Greg

Special Guest Speaker

Sunday we will have as guest Don and Vera Wells. As many know, the Wells are an icon in the state of Arkansas. The thing that they are most remembered for is their work on building the camp grounds at Mountain View. Back then it was Ozark camp of Opportunity (now camp Kohoka) They will be attending Ladies Retreat over the weekend and speaking at NLR Sunday.

Pardon the boating analogy, but...

I had the privilege to attend "Boat School" on the Arkansas River this past weekend. While the pictures may not be dramatic, it was a time where those who are in the business of rescue come together to practice and learn from each other the finer points of water rescue. Any thing from a barge fire to a boating wreck to a swift water rescue were covered.
I thought after I left the classes, how much effort do I put into learning how to toss a line to lives I come in contact with who need it? I understand my role when it comes to the spiritual, I am not the Captain of the vessel only a deck hand, but I want to be trained and ready to assist whenever I am asked to respond.

Herod's Tomb Found?

[By STEVE WEIZMAN - AP]

JERUSALEM (May 8) - An Israeli archaeologist on Tuesday said he has found remnants of the tomb of King Herod, the legendary builder of ancient Jerusalem, on a flattened hilltop in the Judean Desert where the biblical monarch built a palace.

Hebrew University archaeologist Ehud Netzer said the tomb was found at Herodium, a site where he has been exploring since the 1970s. Netzer said a team of researchers found pieces of a limestone sarcophagus believed to belong to the ancient king. Although there were no bones in the container, he said the sarcophagus' location and ornate appearance indicated it is Herod's.

"It's a sarcophagus we don't just see anywhere," Netzer said at a news conference. "It is something very special." Netzer led the team, although he said he was not on the site when the sarcophagus was found. Stephen Pfann, an expert in the Second Temple period at the University of the Holy Land, called the find a "major discovery by all means," but cautioned further research is needed.

Remember Mother's Day

Next Sunday is a celebration Mom's and the memory of Mom.

Some interesting things about Mother's day.

• Mother's Day is now celebrated in many countries around the world. Australia, Mexico, Denmark, Finland, Italy, Turkey, Belgium, Russia, China, Thailand, all have special celebrations to honor Mothers, but not in the same way or on the same day as the United States.
• Eve is credited with being the "Mother of All the Living," in the Bible.
• Mother Goose is one of the most popular of all children's entertainers. Her books and stories have been loved for many generations.

"The days are too short even for love; how can there be enough time for quarreling?"

-Margaret Gatty

What's the worst that could happen? Take your money?

I came across this video that I thought was funny. And no, you will not find North Little Rock like this '-)